Store release mechanism



Dec. 7, 1965 J. E. SMITH ETAL STORE RELEASE MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed July 30, 1959 INVENTORS JOHN E. SMITH RAYMOND A. S ARRY BY T AGENTDec. 7, 1965 J. E. SMITH ETAL 3 9 STORE RELEASE MECHANISM v Filed Julyso, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m QIHFTZI:

IN VENTORS JOHN E. SMITH RAYMOND A. STARRY BY Dec. 7, 1965 Filed July30, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 was Dec. 7, 1965 .1. E. SMITH ETAL 3,221,701

swoms RELEASE uscmnxsm Filed July 30, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 25 25\ Il gII J Ill mull

. 7,1965 J. E. SMITH ETAL I STORE RELEASE MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed July 30, 1959 INVENTORS JOHN E. SMITH RAYMOND A. STARRY AGENTUnited States Patent 3,221,701 STORE RELEASE MECHANISM John E. Smith,Hatboro, and Raymond A. Starry, Levittown, Pa., assignors to the UnitedStates of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed July30, 1959, Ser. No. 830,684 Claims. (Cl. 114-235) (Granted under Title35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States ofAmerica for governmental purposes without the payment of any royaltiesthereon or therefor.

This invention relates to a store release mechanism and moreparticularly to a store release mechanism suitable for storing andautomatically releasing replacement stores as needed.

One of the requirements of the Antimine Weapon disclosed in copendingapplication Serial No. 793,939 of Donald F. Smith filed February 17,1959, is a means for providing a replacement store as each store isused.

It is contemplated that the present invention will provide a means forstoring and replacing the stores as they are used.

One of the principal objects of the present invention, therefore, is theprovision of a store release mechanism suitable for providingreplacement stores as pointed out hereinabove.

Another object of the invention is to provide a store release mechanismwhich is free of any magnetic material.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a new andnovel magnetic store release mechanism suitable for holding replacementstores in readily releasable position and then automatically dispensingthe stores as replacement stores are needed.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a new andnovel release mechanism which is relatively simple in operation andsuitable for inexpensive mass production.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a magneticstore release mechanism as set forth in the preceding objects, which iscompact and efiicient in operation and requires a minimum amount ofmaintenance.

weapon, shown in hidden outline, embodying the invention with the storesshown in solid lines;

FIG. 2 is a detailed side elevational view of a store streaming rod witha magnetic store attached thereto;

FIG. 3 is a detailed elevational view. of a fully cocked magneticrelease mechanism having parts of the housing broken away and partiallyin section to show the details thereof, but without the magnetic storesattached thereto;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the right hand side of FIG. 3 andhas parts broken away to illustrate certain details thereof;

FIG. 6 is a view along section line 6-6 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 is a view along section line 7--7 in FIG. 3.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the detailsof construction and arrangement of parts shown in the drawings anddescribed in detail hereinafter, but is capable of being otherwiseembodied and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. It is tobe further understood that the phraseology or terminology employedherein is for the purpose of description and there is no intentionherein to limit the invention beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Referring to FIG. 1, a hydroplane segment, shown in hid-den outline, andindicated generally by reference numeral 10, taken from the AntimineWeapon disclosed in the copending application referred to hereinabove,embodies the invention comprising a magnetic store release mechanism 11,which includes a streamer, such as a streaming rod 12 having a store 13trailing from a free extremity thereof.

The magnetic leech 13 is connected to a hook-shaped end 14 of thestreaming rod 12 by means of a pair of interhooked wires forming an eyering 15 fastened at the leading ends of a bridle 16 attached to andsupporting the magnetic leech 13 by means of a detonatable squib 16a, inthe manner disclosed in the copending application Serial No. 793,939.Upon the squib 16a being exploded, the ring 15 parts and releases themagnetic leech 13. As a result, a store replacement with a ring similarto eye ring 15, disposed about the streaming rod 12, slides down thestreaming rod to the hook end 14 and is suspended thereat.

A tripping cable 17, FIGS. 2 and 3, is secured at its upper end over ahooked end of a vertical hanger 18 12. The magnetic leech 13 is ofsufficient weight to press the trigger 19 downwardly and at the sametime, by

means of the cable 17, hold the hanger 18 in a downward position againstthe upwardly biasing action of a coiled spring 23 pivotally connected atone end to the upper end of the hanger 18 and at the other end to a pin24 fixed between the two symmetrical side panels 25 and 26, FIG. 4,forming the housing of the release mechanism 11. The cable 17 extendsover a Teflon pulley 27 and through the elongated streamlined housingforming the streaming rod 12 to the swinging end of the pivot-allymounted trigger 19. The pulley 27 is journaled at the upper end of therod 12 between a pair of parallel plates 28.

The lower end of the streaming rod 12 is provided with an integrallyconnected vertical stabilizer fin 30 and a symmetrical, invertedV-shaped depressor and substantially horizontal stabilizer surface 31.

Ordinarily the streaming rod 12, by its own weight, will be held at anangle of declination varying between 30 and 50 degrees. However, withthe aid of the stabilizer fin 30 and the depressor 31, a predeterminedangle of declination can be suitably maintained.

So long as the magnetic leech 13 is attached to the hook end 14 of thestreaming rod 12 the condition described remains the same. However, whenthe leech 13 is released by the exploding of the squib 16a the spring 23will cause the hanger 18 to be biased upwardly, as shown in FIGS. 37,and cause a replacement store 35 to slide down the streaming rod 12 forreplacing the store 13. When the replacement store 35 is released fromthe streaming rod 12, the store 36 is released. Accordingly, stores 37and 38 are sequentially released to serve as a replacement for thepreviously released store.

Referring to FIG. 1, the release mechanism housing, comprises thestainless steel side panels 25 and 26 connected together at the fourcorners with four channelshaped spacer bars 40, 41, 42 and 43, FIGS. 3,4, 5. The spacer bars 40, 41, 42 and 43 are preferably spot welded tothe respective juxtaposed, oppositely facing corners of the sides 25 and26. Sides 25 and 26 are channel-shaped with the central portions thereofbeing riveted together by means of rivets 44 with a rectangular spacerbar 45 disposed between the central webs 25a, 26a of the oppositechannel-shaped side panels 25 and 26. I

The release mechanism 11 is rigidly secured to an elongated rectangular,laterally extending, vertical partition 47 by means of the connectingcross bars 41 and 42. Additionally, the release mechanism 11 can besecured by means of the U-shaped cross bars 40 and 43 to a supportplate, not shown, parallel to the partition 47 which can be connected tothe parallel flanges of a pair of vertically extending channel-shapedspacer plates 49 and 50, FIG. 1, which are rigidly secured to the spacerplate 47 and the parallel support plate, not shown, in a suitable mannersuch as by welding.

It is to be understood that the hydroplane segment and the releasemechanism 11, as well as the streaming rod 12, are of non-magneticmaterials, such as stainless steel or aluminum, for obvious reasonsbecause of the unique magnetically operated leeches or stores. It isunderstood that other suitable non-magnetic materials can be selectedand substituted where desired and where appropriate. The spacer plates49 and 50 are suitably spaced apart so as to accommodate the releasemechanism 11 and the four stores 35, 36, 37 and 38.

So long as the magnetic leech 13, as pointed out, trails from the hookedend of the streaming rod 12, FIGS. 1 and 2, the four stores 35, 36, 37and 38 remain in position as shown.

The stores 35, 36, 37 and 38 are respectively supported by pivotablesupport brackets 55, 56, 57 and 58. Each of the brackets 55, 56, 57 and58 comprises a pair of interconnected parallel arms 55a, b, 56a, b, 57a,b, and 58a, b rigidly secured to the opposite ends of journal pins 550,56c, 57c and 58c, respectively. The intermediate portions of each of thepins 550, 56c, 57c, and 580 are freely journaled in horizontal sleeves55d, 5621, 57d and 58d, respectively. The sleeves 55c and 570 arevertically and symmetrically spaced apart and extend through and arefixed to the obliquely and divergingly extending legs of the side panel26 of the release mechanism housing so that the ends thereof are betweenthe side panels 25 and 26, FIG. 4. Similarly, the sleeves 56d and 58dare supported by the side panel 25, FIG. 3. Pairs of parallel verticalslots are formed in the flanges of the side panels 25 and 26 in order toaccommodate the parallel arms of each of the support brackets 55, 56, 57and 58 therein. The support brackets 55 and 57 are vertically spacedapart sufiiciently to accommodate the store 35 therebetween. The supportbracket 57 is spaced from the top of the side panel 26 sufiiciently topermit the store 37 to be supported without the latter extending abovethe top of the panel 26. The brackets 56 and58 are similarly located onthe side panel 25.

Each of the stores 35, 36, 37 and 38 are supported on the respectivesupport brackets 55, 56, 57 and 58 in the position shown in FIG. 1 whenthe support brackets are positively prevented from swinging inwardlyabout the respective journal pins 550, 56c, 57c, and 580 by thefollowing stop pin and rack arrangement.

Referring to FIG. 6, each of the store supports arms b, 56b, 57b and 58bis provided with cam follower pins 550, 562, 572 and 582, respectively,which bear inwardly against the vertical edges of a verticallyoscillatable rack 62 under the weight of the stores 35, 37, and 38,respectively, and the weight of the support arms.

The rack 62 is shown in its lower-most position in FIGS. 17, when all ofthe support brackets carry a store as shown in FIG. 1. A powerful coiledspring 63, anchored at the lower end thereof on a horizontal anchor pin64 between the side panels 25 and 26, has the upper end thereof fastenedto the upper end of a mechanical lever 65 for the purpose ofcontinuously biasing the rack 62 vertically upwardly, FIG. 3. The lever65 is pivotally mounted near the center thereof to a pivot pin 66. Apair of Teflon washers 67 serve as spacers for centering the lever 65and reducing sliding friction.

The lower, opposite end of the lever 65 is pivotally connected to theupper end of the oscillatable rack 62 by means of a lug pin 68 extendingthrough a necked portion 62a of the rack 62. A slot 65b is formedlongitudinally of the lever 65 for accommodating the lug pin 68 andpermitting the pivotal movement of the lever 65 and the rectilinearmovement of the rack 62 without mutual interference. The rectilinearmovement of the rack 62 is assured by four Teflon Washers 70 mounted inpairs on two vertically spaced guide pins 71, 72 fixed in the panels 25,26 and extending through a pair of vertically extending slots formed inthe rack 62.

The configuration of the rack 62 is complex and is best shown in FIGS.3, 5 and 6.

Referring particularly to FIG. 3, the vertically oscillatable rack isprovided with five projections 75, 76, 77, 78 and 79 for defining sixspaces on the side of the rack 62 facing the housing side panel 25 forthe purpose of receiving a T-shaped lower end of a dogleg-shaped sear80. The sear 80 is pivotally mounted on a stub shaft 81 fixed to theinner wall of the side panel 25 and is biased in a counterclockwisedirection, FIG. 3, by a torsion spring 82. One end 82a of the spring 82is curled about a transverse rod 83, fixed between the walls 25, 26, andthe other end 82b of the spring 82 is seated in a hole in the doglegportion of the sear 80, FIG. 5. A sear stop post 84, FIGS. 3 and 5,limits the angular movement of the sear 80 into the axis slots in therack 62.

A sear release 85, which is dogleg-shaped, is pivotally and flushmounted upon the end of the stub shaft 81 alongside the sear 80 with theupper extreme end of one leg pivotally connected to a hooked upper end18a of the hanger 18. The free lower end of the other leg of the searrelease 85 is generally T-shaped for the purpose of bearing against thelower end of the juxtaposed sear 80 and biasing the same but of thespace between the projections 75, 76, 77, 78, and 79 being immediatelyoccupied by the sear 80 when the hanger 18 is pulled down from theposition shown in FIGS. 3-7.

When the hanger 18 is pulled down, the rack 62 is biased upwardly a veryshort distance substantially equivalent to the difference between thelengths of the lower downwardly extending legs of the sear 80 and thesear release 85, FIG. 3, and the juxtaposed projection 76 comes to restagainst the lower leg end of the sear release 85. When the hanger 18 ispermitted to move upwardly again, by virtue of the leech 13 beingreleased from the streaming rod 12, the lower end of the sear 80 isbiased between the projections and 76 immediately after the sear release85 is biased out of blocking engagement with the projection 75. Theabove operation may be repeated until the stores 35, 36, 37 and 38 havebeen released and the sear is resting beneath the last or lowermostprojection 79. If desired, a microswitch may be provided for closing acircuit and lighting a signal light to indicate that the leech 13 andall of the replacement stores 35, 36, 37 and 38 have been released insuccession from the streaming rod 12, the microswitch being operated bythe movement of the lower end of the sear 80 into the space beneath theprojection 79. If desired, the projections 75-79 may be of trapezoidalcross-section and faired to assure the operation of the sear 80 and thesear release 85 as described.

The control of the upward movement of the rack 62 having been described,the function of the rack cam face 90, FIG. 6, of the rack 62 will bereadily apparent. When the sear 80 occupies the position above theprojections 75, as shown in FIG. 3, the cam follower pins 55e, 562, 57e,and 58a are blocked or prevented from swinging inwardly by a pair ofvertically spaced embossments which terminates in two pairs of obliquelyextending vertically staggered flat cam faces 90a, b and 900, d formedby respectively recessing the lower ends of each of the embossments ofthe rack cam face 90. The cam faces 90a and 900 are parallel and the camfaces 90b and 90d are parallel.

When the streaming rod 12 is armed with the leech 13, FIGS. 1 and 2, thetrigger 19, FIG. 2, is depressed and the sear 80 is forced out ofcontact with the projection 75, FIG. 3, by the sear release 85; and theprojection 75 is forced up against the sear release 85 by the powerspring 63 acting through the lever arm 65. At this instant, the camfollower pins 55a, 56e, 57s, and 53e are still prevented from swinginginwardly by the embossed portions of the rack cam face 90.

However, upon the leech 13 being released in the manner described, thehanger 18 is biased upwardly and the sear 80 comes to rest between theprojections 75 and 76.

.The accompanying upward movement of the rack 62 "causes the cam surface90a to be positioned to allow the cam pin 55:: to swing inwardly andcause the store 35 to to bear against the cam surface 90b and the store36 is dropped to replace the released store 35.

Accordingly, the store 37 is dropped when the cam pin. 57e comes to bearagainst the cam surface 90c, and

the store 58 is dropped when the cam pin 58a comes to .bear against thecam surface 90d. Each of the store supports 55-58 swings free after therespective stores are V dropped.

The streaming rod 12 is removably connected to the housing by means of apin 94' extending through the plates 28, FIG. 2, and the support lugplates 95, 96, FIGS. 3-7. Preferably the pin 94 is fixed to the plates28 of the rod 12 and is journaled in the plates 95, 96

fixed to the housing", preferably by spot welding. More particularly,the flanges 95 and+96 are fixed to the inner sides of the parallelflanges of the side panels 25 and 26, respectively, at the lower, rearcorners thereof, FIG. 3. In order to permit the easy removal and/ orreplacement of the streaming rod 12, particularlyduring the loading ofthe stores 13, 3538 when the bridle eye-springs must be disposed aboutthe lug plates 95, 96, there is provided a lock,'indicated generally bythe numeral 97, FIGS. 3-7.

The 'lock 97 is formed by breaking the lug plate 96 near its midsectionand pivotally connecting together the two parts 96a, 96b formed therebywith a pivot pin 93. As

shown in FIG. 3, the lower lug plate part 96a is provided with abifurcated or female hinge portion 96c and the upper lug plate part 96bis provided with a male hinge portion 96d and the hinge pin 93 is passedthrough the hinge portions 96c, d in a conventional manner.

, A locking bar 98 is slidably disposed in a vertically extending slotof rectangular cross-section centrally formed in the upper lug plate 96band the hinge portion 96d,

for bifurcating the same. The locking bar 98 is biased verticallydownwardly by means of a coiled compression spring 99 centered at thelower end thereof about a pin 98a formed in the upper end of the bar 98,and at the upper end thereof is seated and partially housed within acircular opening in a spring retainer 100, which is fixed to the upperend of the upper lug plate 96b in a conventional manner. A longitudinalguide slot 980, FIGS. 5-7, is formed in the locking bar 98 to receivethe hinge pin 93, the hinge pin 93 serving to guide the locking bar 98and retain the same in operative relationship in the assembly. The lowerend 98d of the bar 98 is curved for enabling the lower lug plate 96a tofulcrum thereon and bias the bar 98 upwardly against the action of thespring 99.

Another feature of this invention is that the upper support bracket arms5711, b and 58a, 1) are generally U-shaped, FIG. 7, and, accordingly,generally conform, at the outer facing edge portions thereof, to thecontour of the individual stores 57 and 58 for holding the same inplace.

The lower support arms and. 56 are generally of trapezoidal shape withthe arms being shaped to permit the free passage thereby of the upperstores 37 and 38, respectively, without interference, FIG. 7.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of the extension 65aof the lever arm 65, FIG. 3, with a hole 102 formed therein. The hole102 is useful for attaching a flag to the lever arm extension 65a toshow that the release mechanism is fully loaded and armed or cocked.Also, a safety pin, not shown, can be passed through the hole 102 andbear against the upper edges of the side panels 25 and 26 for preventingthe untimely operation of the release mechanism.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it is understood that the same is susceptible of many changesand modifications, as known to a person skilled in the art, and it isintended to cover all such changes and modifications coming within thescope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic release mechanism comprising, a housing, store supportmeans for supporting a first replacement store, rack means, spring meansbiasing said rack means in one direction, sear means pivotally connectedto said housing and acting against said rack means for preventingmovement of said rack means in said one direction, torsion spring meansnormally biasing said sear means into engagement with said rack means,near release means pivotally connected to said housing for actingagainst said sear means and moving the latter a sufficient distance topermit said rack means to bypass said sear means and come to restagainst said sear release means, said store support means beingpivotally supported by said housing and having cam follower pin meansresting against said rack means and preventing said support means fromreleasing the store, said rack means having at least 0116 cam recessformed therein for permitting said cam follower pin means to bypass saidrack means and permit said support means to release the store when saidsear release means forces said sear means out of contact with said rackmeans, hanger means pivotally connected to said sear release means forforcing said sear release means into contact with said sear means,resilient means connected to one end of said hanger means for normallyurging said hanger means in a direction for biasing said sear releasemeans out of contact with said sear means, streamer means including acable connected to said hanger means and adapted to support the weightof a second store which normally biases said hanger means downwardly andcauses said sear release means to force said sear means out ofengagement with said rack means, and said first replacement store beingreleased when the weight of said second store is removed from saidhanger means.

2. An automatic release mechanism comprising, a housing, store supportmeans for supporting a first replacement store, rack means, spring meansbiasing said rack means in one direction, sear means pivotally connectedto said housing and acting against said rack means for preventing themovement thereof in said one direction, torsion spring means normallybiasing said sear means into engagement with said rack means, searrelease means pivotally connected to said housing for acting againstsaid sear means and adapted to act thereagainst to permit said rackmeans to bypass said sear means and come to rest against said searrelease means, said store support means being pivotally supported bysaid housing and having cam follower pin means resting against said rackmeans and preventing said support means from releasing the store, andsaid rack means having at least one cam recess formed therein 'forpermitting said cam follower pin means to bypass said rack means andpermit said support means to release the store when said sear releasemeans forces said sear means out of contact with said rack means.

3. An automatic release mechanism comprising, a housing, a plurality ofstore support means for supporting a corresponding number of replacementstores, racks means, spring means biasing said rack means in onedirection, sear means pivotally connected to said housing and actingagainst said rack means for preventing movement of said rack means insaid one direction, torsion spring means normally biasing said searmeans into engagement with said rack means, sear release means pivotallyconnected to said housing for acting against and moving said sear meansto suflicient distance to permit said rack means to bypass said searmeans and come to rest against said sear release means, said storesupport means being pivotally supported by said housing and each havingcam follower pin means resting against said rack means and preventingsaid support means from releasing the store, said rack means having onecam recess formed therein for each of said store support means forpermitting said cam follower pin means to bypass said rack means andpermit said support means to release one of the stores each time saidsear release means forces said sear means out of contact with said rackmeans until all of the stores have been released, hanger means pivotallyconnected to said sear release means for forcing said sear release meansinto contact with said sear means, resilient means connected to one endof said hanger means for normally urging said hanger means in adirection for biasing said sear release means out of 'contact with saidsear means, streamer means including a cable connected to said hangermeans and adapted to support the weight of a store depending therefromwhich normally biases said hanger means downwardly and causes said searrelease means to force said sear means out of engagement with said rackmeans, and each replacement store being released when the weight of saidlast-named store is removed from said hanger means.

4. An automatic release mechanism comprising, a housing, a plurality ofstore support means for supporting a corresponding number of replacementstores, rack means, spring means biasing said rack means in onedirection, sear means pivotally connected to said housing and actingagainst said rack means for preventing movement of said rack means insaid one direction, torsion spring means normally biasing said searmeans into engagement with said rack means, sear release means pivotallyconnected to said housing for acting against and moving said sear meansa sufficient distance to permit said rack means to bypass said searmeans and come to rest against said sear release means, said storesupport means being pivotally supported by said housing and each havingcam follower pin means resting against said rack means and preventingthe support means from releasing the store, said rack means having atleast one cam recess formed therein for each of said store support meansfor permitting said cam follower pin means to bypass said rack means andpermit said support means to release one of the stores each time saidsear release means forces said sear means out of contact with said rackmeans until all of the stores have been released, hanger means pivotallyconnected to said sear release means for forcing said sear release meansinto contact with said sear means, resilient means connected to one endof said hanger means for normally urging said hanger means in adirection for biasing said sear release means out of contact with saidsear means, streamer means including an elongated tube pivotallydepending from said housing and a cable connected to said hanger meansextending through said tube and adapted to support the weight of a storeconnected thereto which normally biases said hanger means downwardly andcauses said sear release means to force said sear means out ofengagement with said rack means, said first replacement store beingreleased when the weight of last-named store is removed from said hangermeans.

5. An automatic release mechanism as set forth in claim 4, furthercomprising, depressor means secured to the free end of said streamertube.

6. An automatic release mechanism as set forth in claim 4, furthercomprising, vertical and horizontal stabilizer fin means secured to thefree end of said streamer tube.

7. In combination with a hydroplane, store release means carried by saidhydroplane, said store release means adapted to carry at least onereplacement store, streamer rod means depending from said store releasemeans and adapted to carry a store at the freely depending end thereof,said store release means operating to automatically dispense thereplacement store along said streamer rod means to said freely dependingend when the store carried by said streamer means is released therefrom.

8. An apparatus for streaming a self-releasing object through a fluidand for automatically streaming a replacement object in place of theself-releasing object when the latter is released, the combinationcomprising: a hydroplane foil formed for sustentation and control ofitself while in motion through the fluid, support means pivotallyconnected within said foil adapted for carrying at least one replacementobject in said foil, a streamer rod connected at one of its ends to saidfoil, trigger means pivotally connected at the other end of said rod,release means operatively connected between said support means and saidtrigger means for automatically pivoting said support means anddispensing any replacement object contained in said foil when anyself-releasing object sustained by said trigger is released, and meansconnected to said rod and slidable from end to end thereof and formed tobe connected to any replacement object carried in said foil.

9. In apparatus for streaming a first object through a fluid and forautomatically streaming a second object in place of the first objectwhen the latter is released, the combination comprising: a hydroplanefoil formed for sustentation and control of itself while in motionthrough the fluid, support means pivotally connected within said foiladapted for carrying the second object in said foil, a streamer rodconnected at one of its ends to said foil, release means operativelyconnected between said support means and the other end of said rod forautomatically pivoting said support means and dispensing the secondobject which may be contained in said foil when the first object whichmay be sustained on the other end of said rod is released, and meansconnected to said rod and slidable from end to end thereof and formed tobe connected to the second object carried in said foil.

10. In apparatus for streaming a first object through a fiuid and forautomatically streaming a second object in place of the final objectwhen the latter is released, the combination comprising: a fluid-dynamicfoil formed for sustentation and control of itself while in motionthrough the fluid, support means connected within said foil adapted forcarrying the second object in said foil, a streamer rod connected at oneof its ends to said foil and sustaining said first object at theopposite end thereof, and release means operatively connected betweensaid support means and the other end of said rod for automaticallydispensing the second object to said opposite end carried in said foilwhen the first object is released.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS5/ 1956 Canada.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

ARTHUR M. HORTON, Examiner.

7. IN COMBINATION WITH A HYDROPLANE, STORE RELEASE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HYDROPLANE, SAID STORE RELEASE MEANS ADAPTED TO CARRY AT LEAST ONE REPLACEMENT STORE, STREAMER ROD MEANS DEPENDING ROM SAID STORE RELEASE MEANS AND ADAPTED TO CARRY A STORE AT THE FREELY DEPENDING END THEREOF, SAID STORE RELEASE MEANS OPERATING TO AUTOMATICALLY DISPENSE THE REPLACEMENT STORE ALONG SAID STREAMER ROD MEANS TO SAID FREELY DEPENDING END WHEN THE STORE CARRIED BY SAID STREAMER MEANS IS RELEASED THEREFROM. 